The Reverend Dr. Paul C. Collins, 86, of Albuquerque, New Mexico, died February 23, 2023. He was an honorably retired member of Presbytery del Cristo.
Paul was born in Chicago, Illinois, on July 15, 1936. He attended Judson University in Elgin, Illinois, and graduated in 1960 with a Bachelor of Arts in theology and history. He earned a Master of Divinity from Northern Baptist Theological Seminary (now Northern Seminary) in Chicago, Illinois, from which he graduated in 1963. In 2002, he completed a Doctor of Ministry with McCormick Theological Seminary, a Presbyterian school in Chicago.
Paul was ordained in the Northern Baptist Church (now the American Baptist Church). On August 18, 1984, meeting at Heights Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Cielo Grande Presbytery received Paul by transfer of membership from the American Baptist Denomination. A commission was elected to install him as associate pastor of Heights CPC. He resigned the position after about a year, presumably to enter the chaplaincy.
From 1991 to 2003, Paul worked as a prison chaplain for the New Mexico Department of Corrections. Among his duties he conducted religious services in prison chapels and worked to develop religious programs in the prison facilities. He retired from prison chaplaincy effective July 1, 2003. In 2007, Paul served as chair of the General Assembly committee on Christian Education and Stewardship for the 177th General Assembly.
From 2003 until his retirement in 2014, Paul served as Executive Director at Eagles Unlimited, an organization which attempted to secure employment and housing for former prison inmates on their release.
